Transcript

AM Archive - Saturday, 11 December , 1999 00:00:00

Reporter: Michael Vincent

COMPERE: Turning to another issue that's tarnished the Olympics, and indeed a wide range of sports. Shaming drug cheats is not enough, apparently, to protect sports and cash incentives are needed to keep sports clean, according to a senior member of the Australian Football League.

Hawthorn Football Club's assistant coach Chris Connolly has told an Australian Drug Foundation seminar in Melbourne that AFL players should put half their wages - tens of thousands of dollars a year - into a trust. Chris Connolly told Michael Vincent that players should then be able to draw their money when they retire, but only if they've been clean of drugs.

CHRIS CONNOLLY: The players average a 110,000. My understanding is in three to four years it'll be about 220,000. With an increase in money will come an increase in temptation. I think they should put half the money away into a good performing trust, and then at the end of the career the players have access to that money, as long as they've gone through their career not being tainted with taking, you know, performing drugs.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Doesn't the game have a good enough name for itself now?

CHRIS CONNOLLY: Oh, at this point in time yes. But, as I said, as the money increases, the temptation will increase, and that'll be the worry.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Why half a wage though? Say if it's a 100,000, $200,000, do you think if players are docked 50,000, a 100,000 dollars, that's a strong enough incentive?

CHRIS CONNOLLY: Well, what'll happen is somewhere down the track a good play will be on, say, $400,000. Now, if they have an injury or they're coming towards the end of their career they may be tempted to try and, you know, get one or two more years to earn the 400,000, let's say.

But if they're actually putting at risk $1 million, well I think they mightn't be tempted to do it.

MICHAEL VINCENT: So, it has to be big money.

CHRIS CONNOLLY: Well, if you get a player who plays over a period of time, that money he'd have access to would build up to around a $1 million.

Our top players are on about 400,000 now, and in three or four years they may be on up to $1 million.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Don't you think the shame of using drugs though and the way it's portrayed in the media is enough. Or do you think - I mean, why the need for this huge cash incentive?

CHRIS CONNOLLY: Because the players may be tempted at some point in time to try and extend their career.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Even though they've seen what's happened to other people who have taken drugs and the shame that's been brought on them?

CHRIS CONNOLLY: Yeah. I think it's not enough. Now, if this doesn't get up, let's get something up. Let's try and put some things in place to nip it in the bud. Let's not run down the paths of a lot of other sports throughout the world.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Do you think this will catch on to other sports, or, say, they Olympics?

CHRIS CONNOLLY: Oh, I'd hope so. Look, it's just an idea. It's, you know, my opinion. But something needs to be done, you know. There's no doubt that a lot of the Olympic sports have been tainted with this problem, and it's taken the shine off the Olympics. And I guess the fundamental reason I've brought it up is we don't want the shine being taken off our game - Australian rules footy - which I think's the best game in the world.